# Here is a thread about the 2016 Summer Olympics **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 6, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911 "2016-08-06T05:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/181 "2016-08-13T02:17:00Z")
I think they play both anthems when there is a tie for gold. With the tie for silver they had one gold and one bronze. The flags were on top of each other, not sure what order. Brian ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/182 "2016-08-13T02:30:15Z")
It was US then Canada. Not sure why. If anything, Canada should have been on top for all sorts of reasons–alphabetical, geographical, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/183 "2016-08-13T02:35:30Z")
I am thrilled China is getting their ass handed to them by the U.S. With three times the population, they are still losing big-time. OTOH, Great Britain is doing exceptionally well at #3 when you adjust for population. It is even better that Mother Russia is a complete failure. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/184 "2016-08-13T02:49:36Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It is even better that Mother Russia is a complete failure. All their best athletes were on the dope and banned from the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/185 "2016-08-13T03:02:52Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > All their best athletes were on the dope and banned from the Olympics. They always were. You pay your money, you take your chances. U.S. athletes have to do it the hard way now especially after high-profile scandals like Lance Armstrong. I would bet everything I own that Simone Biles and Aly Resiman never did any sort of doping. Michael Phelps didn’t either at least during this Olympics. He is just a freak of nature that can swim better than anyone in the world. I bet I could take him in a spelling bee or any other intellectual test but the man can swim as fast as Forrest Gump can run. Sometimes, single, exceptional skills are all you need. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/186 "2016-08-13T03:21:53Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > It was US then Canada. Not sure why. If anything, Canada should have been on top for all sorts of reasons–alphabetical, geographical, etc. Maybe it was alphabetical by the _medalists_’ names… ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/187 "2016-08-13T03:30:34Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > Maybe it was alphabetical by the _medalists_’ names… Oh come on, that’s just too obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/188 "2016-08-13T03:50:49Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yep, nice win by Canada. I’m watching the Australia versus Brazil match now, and hoping that the Aussies can advance to the semis against Sweden. As a Canadian-born Australian, I’d be very happy to see Canada and Australia in the gold medal game. I just saw the end of Australia vs. Brazil. Was it just me, or was the Brazilian keeper totally cheating off the line during the penalty kicks? ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/189 "2016-08-13T03:52:56Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I just saw the end of Australia vs. Brazil. Was it just me, or was the Brazilian keeper totally cheating off the line during the penalty kicks? She was utterly blatant on the first couple of kicks and then toned it down, but even on the winning save she was a step or two off of her line for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/190 "2016-08-13T03:56:16Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > She was utterly blatant on the first couple of kicks and then toned it down, but even on the winning save she was a step or two off of her line for sure. That’s what it looked like to me, too. What’s the procedure in that case; does it not get called if the kick is good, does the ref warn the keeper? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/191 "2016-08-13T04:02:29Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > With the tie for silver they had one gold and one bronze. [No.](https://www.rio2016.com/en/swimming-mens-100m-butterfly-final) When there is a tie for gold or silver, there is no bronze given. As **Eyebrows** notes, the next swimmer after the three silvers is the fifth-best finisher. No medals for coming in fifth. ---
**Author:** ![moojja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@moojja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moojja)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/192 "2016-08-13T04:03:34Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > It was US then Canada. Not sure why. If anything, Canada should have been on top for all sorts of reasons–alphabetical, geographical, etc. They flip a coin, USA won. That’s also why USA anthem was played first. Since there’s tie for gold, there’s no bronze. Same with the tie for silver. I guess they try not to let too many people on the podium. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/193 "2016-08-13T04:05:09Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Katie Ledecky, wow, damn that was impressive. That was like Secretariat winning, she was done and the others were still near the center of the pool! > > Not only did she also beat the WR by two seconds, none of the other swimmers were even \*close \*to the line! She is awesome. It’s just great watching her swim. Of course, any non-American winning by that sort of margin, and the internet would currently be overflowing with snide remarks implying steroid use. I’m not interested in making any accusations about individuals, but **Shagnasty** , if you think that the Lance Armstrong scandal means that no-one on the US team has ever doped, i’ve got some swampland in Florida that you would definitely be interested in. In other news, the Aussie women lost a heartbreaker to Brazil in the quarter-final of the women’s soccer, getting beaten on a penalty shootout that went to eight shots per team. I think that Brazil played better than Australia for a lot of the game, but the Aussies defended incredibly well, and goalkeeper Williams made a couple of great saves. The Brazilian keeper was definitely moving well off the line before the kicks, especially early in the shootout, but i’ve seen other keepers do similar stuff. I’m also not sure how much of an advantage it gives; sure, it cuts down the angle a little bit, but it also reduces your reaction time even further. The Australian Gorry should have done much better when she had a chance to win the game on Shot #5. Her shot was chest high, and almost straight at the keeper. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/194 "2016-08-13T04:06:29Z")
> [@moojja](#): > > Since there’s tie for gold, there’s no bronze. Nope. If there’s a tie for gold, they eliminate the silver and award the bronze. Otherwise you would be giving a silver medal to the third-placed athlete. They do eliminate the bronze if there’s a tie for silver. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/195 "2016-08-13T04:09:21Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Nope. If there’s a tie for gold, they eliminate the silver and award the bronze. Otherwise you would be giving a silver medal to the third-placed athlete. Ah, of course. I knew that once, but had it wrong here as well. If there were a three-or-more-way tie for gold, there would be no other medals given. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/196 "2016-08-13T04:10:54Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The Australian Gorry should have done much better when she had a chance to win the game on Shot #5. Her shot was chest high, and almost straight at the keeper. There were an incredible number of shots like that from both sides. I honestly wonder if a keeper could have profitably waited to see the shot and reacted to it because some many of them we damn near down the middle of the net. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/197 "2016-08-13T04:38:24Z")
So I’m watching Katie Ledeky smash the world record in the 800m Freestyle and I notice that when the swimmers get close to the wall, these guys ring these bells in their faces. What is that bell signaling? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/198 "2016-08-13T04:41:44Z")
Last two lengths of the pool, i.e., the final 100m of the race. For long races like the 800 and 1500m, where you’re swimming 16 or 30 laps of the pool, it is possible (although, for olympic athletes, probably quite unlikely) that you can lose track of how many laps are left. Hence the bell. They have a similar thing in track, for the final lap of races like the 1500m, 3000m, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/199 "2016-08-13T04:54:59Z")
Although if Ledecky accidentally swam another two lengths she still might have won. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911/200 "2016-08-13T05:46:47Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Why are so many of the stadiums so empty during even the big events? When they pan the shots to the ‘crowds’, they are small and concentrated into just a few lower levels even during the most popular events. I know Rio has problems in general and some people were told to stay away but I thought that other brave people not at risk would use it as an opportunity to score cheap tickets to events that are normally very difficult to get. Depending on the venue and sport, your ticket might be for something like “Pool play, Group B, day 3”, which could be several matches. So if you’re a big supporter of the US Water Polo team, maybe you don’t care about the early morning match between Slovenia and Hungary. Particularly if you partied too hard the night before. And if you’re a fan of the US Women’s Soccer team, maybe you’re trying to sell off your hot ticket to the gold medal game… (and I just bet some NBC execs are trying to figure out how to shuffle their coverage now that this gold medal game will be a lot less popular to US viewers now) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/here-is-a-thread-about-the-2016-summer-olympics/761911.md?page=11)